Australia's Stosur breaks U.S. Open hoodoo

Samantha Stosur of Australia returns a backhand to compatriot Anastasia Rodionova during the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, September 1, 2010. REUTERS/Ray Stubblebine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Samantha Stosur broke her U.S. Open hoodoo when she beat fellow Australian Anastasia Rodionova 6-1 6-4 on Wednesday to reach the third round for the first time in her career.

The French Open runner-up had never been beyond round two in six previous visits to Flushing Meadows but was far too strong for world number 62 Rodionova and needed just 64 minutes to book her ticket to the next round.

“I’ve obviously had disappointing results here in previous years so to get through that hurdle is a very good feeling,” fifth seed Stosur told reporters.

“I had a couple of tough draws here and one year I shouldn’t have played, when I was feeling sick but I don’t really know why my results haven’t been so good here.”

Stosur had been struggling with a nagging injury to her right arm before arriving in New York but looked more like her normal self as she attacked with her serve and forehand.

After cruising through the first set she broke early in the second set and though Rodionova had a point to level at 4-4, Stosur held the advantage to set up a clash with Sara Errani of Italy.

Stosur saved four match points to beat Errani in the warm-up event in New Haven last week and said she hoped that match affects the Italian this time round.

“It’s funny how quickly you can turn around and play the same player again,” she said. “Looking back, maybe that was a really important match for me to get through and maybe that will play on her mind a little bit going into our match.”